ZOINKS! -- 800mil iPhone Apps Downloaded | 3.0 Features Should Keep The Train Rolling UPDATED & CORRECTED

According to TechCrunch Apple claimed 800mil downloads in aggregate from the 27,131 iPhone Apps available on iTunes at a press conference today. Mega-impressive (the carriers must be poking their eyes out). Apple also announced that it sold 13.7mil iPhones in 2008...which is greater than analysts's expectations, and just flat-out amazing. That brings the total # of iPhone & iPod touch devices in the market to 30mil according to Mobile Entertainment. That means that the average device has downloaded over 25 Apps!!!!

At the same event Apple also previewed iPhone OS 3.0 with expanded APIs for developers...key features announced thusfar:

• Peer-to-peer Apps via Bluetooth
• Ability to embed Chat and Email into Apps
• Microtransaction billing within Apps and Subscription pricing
• Apps will be able to directly link into iTunes music store
• Apps will be able to handle streaming video as a feature (getting more detail on this...)
• Cut & paste functionality
• Landscape support for all Apps

(thanks to Calvin Lim at Universal Pictures for catching an error in my original average App per device calculation...I had not factored in the iPod touch as an addressable device)